My horse has just been diaganosed with a fibrin clot, is it safe to still ride?

My 13 year old mare has recently been diagnosed with a fibrin clot in the aterial chamber. It's basically a clot that is spider shaped quite big that floats in her vision. Its not there all the time and there's no way of predicting when it is in her vision. I had lots of accidents with her that have resulted in quite serious accidents and my vet says they were probably caused by the clot suddenly coming in her vision, when it's there she essentially suddenly cannot see until it moves again. I've had mixed advise and really wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem or heard of it and can advise me how best to help her and if I should carry on riding. My vet said I shouldn't hack out anymore as that's too dangerous if the clot suddenly comes in her vision. I desparately want to carry on riding but also want to stay safe and enjoy her.

I have heard of people riding blind horses or half blind horses but those people spend a lot of time retraining the horse and the horse has complete trust in them not to get them hurt.....if you already have had accidents which were caused by the clot that kind of answers the question....it really might just be to dangerous to ride out on her....or at least ride her in a place familiar to her and make sure you both have protective equipment on....retraining her with some extra ques so if it goes out you can help her navigate with out being scared...hope that helps...

I have heard of people riding blind horses or half blind horses but those people spend a lot of time retraining the horse and the horse has complete trust in them not to get them hurt.....if you already have had accidents which were caused by the clot that kind of answers the question....it really might just be to dangerous to ride out on her....or at least ride her in a place familiar to her and make sure you both have protective equipment on....retraining her with some extra ques so if it goes out you can help her navigate with out being scared...hope that helps...

Thanks! What sort of retraining would I have to do with her? I only ride her within the yard now so she's in familar place. And for short amounts of time.

She was a brood mare until she was 10 then was sold on and broken in she then went to a riding school but they couldn't get the bridle on her easier and apparently the owner thought it would take around a year to get her ready to be part of the riding school so sold her on. It was at that point she came to the yard I was riding at. I was only told at that point that she was previously just a brood mare, so basically we both were really really green and have learnt together. (I'd only been riding for 6 months once a week at the point of buying her and that was hacking out on a sensible school horse)

Did the vet not think that surgical removal of the clot was possible? Or taking the eye out entirely so salvage her as a riding horse?

The vet said that the risk of infection was too great to justify taking the clot out. I was advised that I had the following choices, sell her on but only as a brood mare, put her back into foal as that's what she's spent most her life doing, retiring her or carry on riding but only at the yard as isn't safe to hack out anymore. I wouldn't consider taking the eye out as the riding element isn't as important to me as having her is.

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